Jason “socrates_” Sylka

WCG Seed : 6
Total Q4 Prize Money : $16,700
GGL Q4 World Ranking : 3
GGL 1v1 World Ranking : 5

Q4 Results to date :

2006 WSVG UK : 4th
2006 Intel Summer : 5th
2006 ESWC : 5th
2006 WSVG Kentucky : 3rd
2006 Vsports All Stars : 4th
2006 Transatlantic Showdown : 1st
2005 CPL Winter : 6th

His well publicised move from Complexity to mousesports has given Jason a new lease of life in Quake 4. He always said that if he could move to Europe and have the kind of practice the euro’s do, he could improve and take on players like cooller and Toxic and Stermy. Whilst his move only happened in the last month (moving to Germany to live), you can bet your last dollar on him playing hard core for the few weeks he has before WCG.

His results in 7 of the biggest tournaments show that he has finished, never lower, than 6th and that was at last years CPL Winter. Since then, he has gone on to win his first major, at the Transatlantic showdown (beating cooller) and finished top 5 at all of his other tournaments. His most recent 4th place at WSVG UK was all the more impressive considering he had not played for 2 months following Intel Summer and his continuing frustration with his lack of options for practice as well as a nasty bout of flu stopping him from perhaps, finishing even higher.

WCG might just come a little too early for his newly found practice regime to help, but in time it will surely reap the kind of rewards Jason wants.

It goes almost without saying, but every match at the WCG will be tough, for all of the players and Socrates_ can look forward to entertaining his fellow American Fatal1ty as well as Ztrider and Stermy. Recent form suggests that he might well have a chance of coming through this group, but much of it will depend how his preparation has gone (he assured me he would be practicing hard core) and how Ztriders mindset is.

Prediction : Even with his new practice regime and ability to play more often now he lives in Germany, WCG might just be a little too early to see the full benefit of this system, but he is no push over and Stermy, Ztrider and particularly Fatal1ty will find a tough opponent.